Rumbidzai Ngwenya and Andile Tshuma
POLICE yesterday appealed to families, churches and communities to preach the gospel of peace amid a shocking increase in juvenile killers throughout the country.
This comes after the police have in the last few months reported cases where children as young as 14 years were implicated in murder cases. Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, national police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said children have turned into murderers because of factors that the community could control.
“There are a number of factors contributing to the increase in juveniles committing violent crimes like murder. First is the issue of our children being exposed to social media and second is the issue of social interaction in the communities that children are growing up in. They are exposed to a number of things, including abusive families,” Nyathi said.
“Families, churches, and even political parties should preach the gospel of peace so that children are raised valuing peace.
“When we have a peaceful society, the children who are raised in that community grow up to be peaceful adults. Let’s go back to human values that promote law-abiding citizenship. Everyone should always value life, that way it contributes towards peace in the country.”
All this comes after police in Plumtree arrested a 15-year-old girl who stabbed a 20-year-old woman with a knife at Magodi Village last Sunday. It is alleged that the two had had a misunderstanding over a boyfriend.
In another incident, a 17-year-old boy was also arrested in Binga last week in connection with a case of murder where he allegedly stabbed his age mate with a knife.
The suspect later attempted to commit suicide by stabbing himself on the throat with a knife and consuming a pesticide. In January, the police also arrested a 14-year-old boy in connection with a murder case in which he allegedly killed his 15-year-old friend at Gandiwa Village.
The suspect and the victim, together with three other children, were playing while herding cattle when the now deceased was allegedly kicked on the groin area and died.
Meanwhile, the police in Matabeleland South have launched a manhunt for more than 50 people who escaped from a Beitbridge Covid-19 quarantine centre. The escapees had arrived in the country from South Africa on different dates and were placed under quarantine at the border town’s quarantine facility. They were quarantined after they had failed to produce Covid-19 tests and proof of vaccination in line with current travel requirements following the recent reopening of borders. Nyathi said the 53 individuals escaped in two groups.
“The ZRP in Matabeleland South is investigating 53 cases of abscondment from Beitbridge quarantine centre on 17 March and 18 March 2022,” Nyathi said.
He urged citizens and visitors to Zimbabwe to use designated crossing points and to ensure that they complied with all immigration as well as port health regulation requirements to avert crime as well as the spread of Covid-19.
“The ZRP urges all visitors and citizens entering the country to go through all necessary protocols which were put in place by the government to curtail the spread of Covid-19,” Nyathi said.